Costa Coffee at the Leisure Centre

[girlfriend44]

The cafe at the local leisure Centre and Pool is a Costa and its very expensive.
AiBU to think it dosent really fit in that venue anyway.

Didn't we just used to have vending machines etc and shouldn't there be free water at a place where they are doing gym and sport and swimming?

Do you really want to sit down for an expensive coffee and cake when you've been in the gym?
All added expense etc, the kids drinks are really expensive too.

What do you have at your local pool/gym etc?
The cafe is the only waiting area too?

Ours has a Costa, and on the rare occasion I take my granddaughter to her swimming lessons, I do have a cappuccino whilst watching her swim. I don't think they do cake there - I've never noticed anyway, and it is a very small counter. . I don't drink much coffee, but I do like a cappuccino, or a flavoured latte, so I don't mind paying their prices, as it is such a rarity.

We used to take my son to swimming lessons. Whilst he was there we would have a drink. There are vending machines as well and you can ask for free water if you want

I will be taking a travel mug of coffee to the leisure centre tomorrow while DD is swimming.

It's about the only time tomorrow I'll get to sit down for half an hour with a coffee so I'll take advantage of it.

On the rare occasions I bought a coffee at the leisure centre it was tasteless and overpriced, so I take my own.

Take it up with the Daily Mail! 😂

How do we know the BBC didn’t have incorrect info?!

I love the smell of coffee and chlorine.

Costa rent the space from the leisure centre.
It’s a source of income and as few have pointed out helps keep the centre open.
Costa are not going to pay rent to provide you with a seat, it’s Costas floor space so they are perfectly within their rights to request only paying customers take up seat space.

Please read. I agree but there's a sign saying tables are really for people who are buying from the cafe.

Why this fixation on having chairs and tables to use? It's a leisure centre. Use it to move around. Use the cafe for tables and chairs. If you want tables and chairs without using the cafe, go home. Or to one of the zillion other venues that have tables and chairs and are primarily for sitting down. So weird to expect a leisure centre to provide tables and chairs for folk to hang around on for free. If you're watching swimming, there's usually seating provided for that. If you're waiting for someone to emerge from swimming, wander around or wait in your car or if you're that desperate, buy some pop from Costa. Jeez. It's really not an issue. And if the vending machine model was economically viable, I'm sure they'd be all over it, but no doubt the Costa helps with the bottom line and keeps it going.

My gym has its own unbranded cafe/bar. It's not cheap but in a gap between classes it's nice to be able to have a hot drink. However there is no obligation to buy. members can sit in the lounge and eat nothing at all or bring food from home. But we pay nearly £200 a month membership so comfy seating bloody well should be included!

I left Nuffield when the Costa introduced the rule that you couldn't sit in the lounge if you didn't purchase from them. I used to get there at 6am to study so a full two hours before Costa opened and the manager still told me off for sitting in there without making a purchase. As a protest

yes I do too .

isn't Costa a franchise ? so maybe having a Costa was cheaper.

I used to look forward to a Texan Bar at the vending machine after swimming at the local pool in the 80s, but c'mon, we still had money for student grants back then. The world has changed. If Costa helps keep the place buzzing - and it does seem like people have infinite dosh to spend on coffees - so be it.

Surely you can get free water in your gym?! Every gym I've ever been in has had water stations where you can fill up a bottle, and the cafe most likely give tap water if you ask too. But you would not be unreasonable to ask you gym to provide seating for people who aren't buying a drink from the Costa.

This thread is hilarious. My local "leisure center" is basically a swimming pool in a warehouse.

be those Millenials and their endless coffees no wonder they can't afford houses 😂

YABU they probably get paid an amount each month from costa and it mutually beneficial.

I have never eaten or drank anything (apart from the odd slushy after swimming) as when I go I want that to be the outing and don’t want my DD to expect food and drink when we go out.
But I have noticed cafes in a few of them so there must be a call for them.

Do you really want to sit down for an expensive coffee and cake when you've been in the gym? Definitely! Used to be ravenous after swimming. Though rather than coffee and cake I preferred hot chocolate and double egg and chips.

Is this Horsham? I noticed that since they've built the new leisure centre there, there is nowhere to sit if you don't use the cafe.

It's no good telling patrons of a leisure centre that they have to buy a coffee to use the seating - there are lots of reasons why you might need to sit and wait for someone, like swimming lessons, waiting for someone to get changed etc.

The only seating at our leisure centre is at the cafe, but the cafe is run by leisure centre staff and nobody moans if you sit there if you are not buying a drink.

We have one leisure centre which has a cafe - the cafe itself is part of the centre, but they do sell (selected) warm costa drinks as well as non-Costa cold drinks and non-Costa food. There's water available from fountains poolside, but not sure about the gym area or elsewhere.